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Comprising two provinces, Potenza and Matera, the Basilicata region stretches between Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. Though it’s an often missed region of Southern Italy, its ancestral charm, rugged coastline, and pulsing piazzas will win you over in no time. A blend of outdoor adventures, art, culture and antiquity, the r...

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I’m standing inside a cave where the walls hold black and white photographs of the family who once lived here. In one, the children are lined up in front of a large bed; in another, there’s a donkey in the kitchen. Furniture and domestic props laid carefully around me recreate the home as it once looked, complete with plastic animals to represent h...

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Bari, Tropea, Matera, and Trento in Italy offer a perfect escape from overcrowded tourist hotspots with stunning scenery, rich history, and authentic experiences. Venice has become the world’s first major city to implement a unique visitor fee, aiming to curb overtourism and safeguard its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The €5 (£4.30) charg...

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These days marks the twentieth anniversary of the Associazione Nazionale degli Alberghi Diffusi, which embraces and protects these hotels integrated with the landscape, offering many options for all types of travelers, for all budgets: a truly Italian invention. Farmhouses, refuges, trulli, masserie, and cabins. In the countryside, high altitudes,...

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Italy is full of beautiful cities, but visitors to the southern European country only ever seem to visit its most popular areas, namely Rome, Florence and Pisa.  But, found in the Basilicata region of southern Italy lies Matera - which has been described as one of the most authentic cities to visit. The city is full of unusual places to discover, a...

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Matera, city of the “Sassi” and rupestrian churches, has always been a cradle of traditional craft skills rooted in the distant past. The local inhabitants are accustomed to working in terracotta, tuff, wood and papier-mâché, initially as a pastime and then for trade, resulting in the production of excellent artefacts. The art of papier-mâché, in p...

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Matera is known for its stone-carved architecture and unique cultural heritage, but this isn’t why the town has made the front pages of Italian newspapers in recent times.  After its stint as the European Capital of Culture in 2019, Matera received plenty of national and international attention, especially thanks to its Sassi. Even before that, its...

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Considered one of the oldest cities in the world - right after Aleppo and Jericho - and home to not one, but two UNESCO World Heritage Sites — the Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches, both recognized in 1993 — Matera is a place that feels like it belongs more to the realm of dreams than reality. It’s where the mind drifts off, breaking fr...

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There is a new idea of tourism that is gaining popularity, related to the pursuit of wellbeing. This pursuit is not only about the tourist experience but also about everyday life. From this perspective, the small towns of Basilicata guarantee a high standard of wellbeing linked to a good quality of life and slower rhythms compared to life in big ci...

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An underrated city in Europe is not only among the best places to visit, it is also one of the oldest in the world. The beautiful city of Matera in Italy is a hidden gem that offers several historical gems that can be explored without too many tourists. Situated in the Basilicata region of southern Italy, this destination continually amazes visitor...

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